Book Publishing, History and Economics of

The book publishing industry was one of the first mass media industries of the modern world. Whereas China was the first country to create both woodblock printing and movable type, the global book market is based on the printing culture that emerged from Europe after Johannes Gutenberg introduced his printing press around 1439. The evolution of book production in Europe would create the foundation for the concept of authorship and provide an economic model for media consumption.

The first decades of the 21st century have been a period of transition for the industry. The growth of the Internet and the popularity of handheld computers have changed how books are created and sold. Authors now have access to many of the same tools used by publishers. They ...